Ithaca College: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Tuition Fee, Cost of Attendance & Scholarships

Ithaca College is a private, non-profit institution in Ithaca, New York, founded in 1892 as a music conservatory. It ranks #13 in US News Best Regional Universities North 2026, its strongest verified national marker.

The college delivers over 100 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate degrees across five schools: Business, Communications, Health Sciences and Human Performance, Humanities and Sciences, plus Music, Theatre and Dance. All programmes are taught in English with Fall and Spring intakes each year. Indian applicants enrol most heavily in MBA, Speech-Language Pathology and Communications tracks.

• Ranking: #13 in US News Best Regional Universities North 2026
• Acceptance rate: 75% (US News 2026 profile)
• Intakes: Fall (August 2027) and Spring (January 2027)
• Undergraduate tuition: USD 59,440/year (INR 56.87 lakh/year)
• MBA per credit: USD 1,704 (INR 1.63 lakh)
• International source countries: India in the top three, alongside Canada and China

Also Check: MS universities in USA

Ithaca College charges the same tuition rate across every undergraduate major, and institutional merit aid remains open to international applicants. The average grant per new student is USD 35,986/year (INR 34.42 lakh), covering roughly 60% of the sticker cost. F-1 students study on the Ithaca campus under a three-year on-campus residency requirement. Application deadlines vary by round, and Indian applicants can benchmark peers via our directory of universities in USA.

Popular Courses and Fees at Ithaca College 2027

Ithaca College charges a single flat rate for full-time undergraduate study and per-credit rates for graduate programmes. Every degree is taught in English and priced in US dollars.

Ithaca College PG Courses and Fees 2027

Graduate programmes are billed per credit. MBA credits are USD 1,704 each, Speech-Language Pathology credits are USD 1,091 each, and totals shown assume the standard credit load. Branch and online tracks may bill separately.

Ithaca College UG Courses and Fees 2027

Every undergraduate major charges the same full-time tuition of USD 59,440/year. Four-year totals below exclude housing, meals and mandatory fees, which sit under Section 6.

Insider note: Indian applicants concentrate in the Roy H. Park School of Communications and the MBA Entertainment and Media Management track, since Ithaca’s strongest brand equity sits in media, music and health sciences.

Read More: Ithaca College Programs and Course Fees

Ithaca College Admission 2027

Ithaca College runs two intakes each year, with Fall as the primary window for Indian applicants and Spring reserved for select programmes. Both rounds share one Common Application for undergraduates.

Planning note: Indian applicants applying Regular Decision should book IELTS or TOEFL slots before mid-December 2026 so scores reach Ithaca before the 1 February 2027 deadline.

Read More: Ithaca College Admissions Guide for Indian Students

Ithaca College Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Indian applicants must clear one academic and one language threshold, plus programme-specific portfolios for arts tracks.

PG Requirements

• Academic: Bachelor’s with CGPA 5.5/10 or 55% or higher (recommended); most Indian PG intakes cluster at CGPA 6.5 or above
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 80 (legacy 0-120 scale) or 4.0 (new 1-6 scale), IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 54, Duolingo 115
• Credentials: WES or ECE evaluation strongly advised for Indian transcripts
• Programme-specific: MBA accepts GMAT waivers case-by-case; MS Music Education requires an audition

UG Requirements

• Academic: Class 12 completion with 65% or higher (recommended); Science stream needed for pre-PT and health tracks
• English proficiency: Same TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and Duolingo minimums as PG
• Standout requirement: SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 600 or higher recommended if submitted; test-optional otherwise

Key insight: Applicants who studied in an English-medium school for three or more years may request an English test waiver by writing to admission@ithaca.edu with school transcripts.

Ithaca College Acceptance Rate 2027

The Ithaca College acceptance rate is 75% per the US News 2026 profile, placing it in the somewhat-selective band. This is an official published rate, not an estimate.

Multiple third-party trackers report a range between 69% and 75% across the last two admissions cycles, reflecting yearly application volume rather than a policy shift. Ithaca does not publish an India-specific acceptance rate.

Reality check: A 75% headline rate does not mean guaranteed admission. Indian applicants still need Class 12 or bachelor’s grades above the recommended cutoffs, plus a valid English test score submitted before the deadline.

Read More: Ithaca College Acceptance Rate Analysis

Ithaca College Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

Total annual investment for Indian students sits at roughly USD 83,020 (INR 79.43 lakh) per year for undergraduate study, combining tuition, on-campus housing, meals, insurance and personal costs. Applicants may also review the broader landscape of MBA universities in USA to price-check peer options.

Ithaca College Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

Undergraduate tuition is a single flat rate across all majors. Graduate tuition is billed per credit and varies by programme.

Monthly Cost of Living in Ithaca for Indian Students

Ithaca is a small college town in upstate New York. On-campus figures below come from the official 2026-27 cost of attendance.

Insider note: Health insurance adds another USD 4,260/year (INR 4.08 lakh) unless waived with proof of Indian travel medical cover accepted by the college.

Read More: Study in USA Guide for Indian Students

Ithaca College Campus, Facilities and Student Life

Ithaca College sits on a 750-acre hillside campus in Ithaca, upstate New York, overlooking Cayuga Lake and neighbouring Cornell University.

• Location: 320 kilometres northwest of New York City; TCAT city buses connect campus to downtown Ithaca every 15 minutes on weekdays
• Housing: Three-year on-campus residency for first-year, sophomore and junior students; guaranteed for all four years to international applicants
• Facilities: Park School broadcast studios, Whalen Center for Music with 700-seat concert hall and Athletics and Events Center with an Olympic-size pool
• Indian community: Students from 78 countries with India in the top three source nations; the Ithaca College International Club hosts Diwali and Holi events

What Indian students say: The academic workload is manageable, professors are approachable and the biggest adjustment is winter weather from November through March. Off-campus rentals near South Hill start at USD 800/month per room after junior year.

Ithaca College Scholarships 2027

Ithaca College funds five named merit scholarships plus automatic institutional awards for international applicants. None are ring-fenced for Indian nationals, but Indian students remain eligible for every award below.

Additional named awards include the Leadership Scholar Program and the Martin Luther King Scholar Program, both with a 1 December 2026 deadline. Indian applicants should also submit the International Aid Application by 1 November 2026 for full institutional aid consideration.

Insider note: The Presidential Scholarship is highly competitive and covers full tuition. Only a small pool of Early Action applicants receive it, so submit test scores and transcripts before the 1 November 2026 cutoff.

Read More: Ithaca College Scholarships Guide

Ithaca College Rankings 2027

Ithaca College sits outside the QS World, THE World, ARWU and US News Best Global Universities lists, since it is classified as a regional US master’s institution rather than a doctoral research university. Its strongest verified marker is #13 in US News Best Regional Universities North 2026.

As per US News, Ithaca is also ranked among the strongest schools for undergraduate teaching in the North region. Applicants tracking research-heavy world rankings should treat Ithaca as a teaching-first liberal arts choice rather than a research powerhouse.

Key insight: A US News regional ranking counts for F-1 visa eligibility, since it confirms accreditation and SEVP approval. It also carries recognition with US media, healthcare and music employers that recruit from Ithaca.

Read More: Ithaca College Rankings Analysis

Ithaca College Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

Ithaca College reports strong first-destination outcomes across its five schools, with the Career Services office running employer treks to New York City and Los Angeles.

• First-destination rate: 96% of graduates employed or in further study within one year of graduation (Class of 2023, most recent officially disclosed cohort)
• Median starting salary: Not disclosed centrally by Ithaca College; market median for US regional master’s institution graduates sits around USD 55,000/year (INR 52.6 lakh/year), labeled as market benchmark
• Recruiting sectors: Media and entertainment, healthcare and physical therapy, K-12 education, music performance and non-profit; representative employers are drawn from broadcast networks, regional hospitals and school districts
• Career support: The Center for Career Exploration and Development runs one-on-one advising, mock interviews and a signature Los Angeles Program semester for Park School students
• Post-study work visa: Indian graduates on F-1 status qualify for 12 months of OPT, extendable by 24 months for STEM-designated majors such as Computer Science

Insider note: Indian graduates in Communications and MBA tracks typically use the OPT window to intern with New York City or Los Angeles employers, since Ithaca’s alumni network in both cities is active.

Ithaca College vs Peer Universities

Ithaca College competes primarily against North-region private masters institutions of similar size and price. Peer set below mixes US News regional peers and one large research neighbour for context.

Ithaca stands out from the peer set on two dimensions. Its Roy H. Park School of Communications is one of the largest media-focused schools in the northeast US, and its Doctor of Physical Therapy programme runs a rare six-year direct-entry pathway.

Ithaca College suits Indian applicants who want a teaching-first residential campus with a Class 12 profile above 65% and a budget near USD 80,000/year (INR 76.5 lakh/year). Total four-year investment sits at roughly INR 320 lakh against a first-year US salary near INR 52 lakh, so return on investment depends heavily on securing OPT employment or a Presidential-class scholarship.

It is not the right fit for research-doctorate seekers, applicants chasing QS or THE world rankings or those on a strict INR 40 lakh/year budget. A closer alternative in that budget band is a US state university system such as SUNY Binghamton, which also sits in New York state.